- Google plans to deploy AI data centers in orbit using solar-powered satellite constellations
- Each Suncatcher satellite would operate in a sun-synchronous low-Earth orbit for continuous solar exposure
- Bench testing achieved 1.6 terabits per second between transceivers under controlled conditions
Google’s “Project Suncatcher” introduces an ambitious idea: putting fully functional AI data centers into orbit.
These orbital platforms would consist of a constellation of compact satellites operating in a sun-synchronous low-Earth orbit at sunrise and dusk, designed to capture sunlight almost continuously.
Each unit would house machine learning hardware, including TPUs, powered by solar energy collected more efficiently than on Earth.
A radical concept for orbital calculation
The setup aims to reduce reliance on heavy energy storage and test whether computing beyond Earth’s atmosphere can be both scalable and sustainable.
The research team proposes inter-satellite communication at bandwidths comparable to those of ground-based data centers.
Using dense wavelength division multiplexing and multichannel spatial multiplexing, satellites could theoretically reach tens of terabits per second.
To close the signal strength gap, the satellites would fly just a few hundred meters from each other, enabling data transfer rates already demonstrated by a laboratory test at 1.6 Tbps.
Maintaining such close formations, however, requires complex orbital control, modeled using the Hill-Clohessy-Wiltshire equations and refined numerical simulations to counter gravitational and atmospheric effects.
According to Google, its Trillium Cloud TPU v6e under 67 MeV proton exposure revealed no critical damage, even at doses far exceeding expected orbital levels.
The most sensitive components, the high-bandwidth memory subsystems, showed only minor irregularities.
This finding suggests that existing TPU architectures could, with limited modifications, support low Earth orbit conditions for extended missions.
However, economic viability remains uncertain, although planned reductions in launch costs could make deployment plausible.
If prices fall below $200 per kilogram by the mid-2030s, expenses for launching and maintaining space data centers could approach parity with those for terrestrial facilities when measured per kilowatt-year.
However, this assumes long-term reliability and minimal maintenance requirements, which have not yet been tested on a large scale.
Despite the promising signals, many aspects of the Suncatcher project rely on theoretical modeling rather than field validation.
The upcoming partnership with Planet, which is expected to deploy two prototype satellites by 2027, will test optical interconnects and TPU performance in real orbital conditions.
Whether these on-orbit facilities can move from research experiments to operational infrastructure depends on sustained advances in energy management, communications stability, and cost effectiveness.
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